The Mistletoe Protocol - 1920
by Batwings79
Summary: Written for the 2012 DA Mistletoe Challenge - Contains spoilers for Series 3 - The Mistletoe Protocol was first set by the Ladies of Downton Abbey when they were young girls. This poignant Christmas story tells the tale of how the Protocol has changed through the years. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!


_**A/N: This story is in response to the 2012 Downton Abbey Mistletoe Challenge. It is a sequel to the story that I submitted last year and is set after Series 3 in 1920 (beware spoilers!). You may wish to read 'The Mistletoe Protocol' first but it is not required in order to understand this story. **_

_**Disclaimer: They still belong to Fellowes but they seem to be branching out..to America…hmmm…not sure how I feel about that! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my little story as it is the only recompense that I receive for writing and as usual, no copyright infringement is intended.**_

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She had gone to return one of the ledgers to his desk when she had finished checking the numbers and found him standing in her parlor upon her return. She walked over to him as he struggled to pull off the white gloves that he'd been wearing to protect his hands while they hung the garlands and swags in the rooms above stairs in preparation for the Christmas holidays.

"Damned pine tar! It gets all over everything," he grunted in frustration and held out his hands to her.

She gave his hands an affectionate squeeze before tugging at the cloth at the tips of his fingers to work his gloves loose. "Hush now, you," she murmured to him, grasping the cloth firmly and pulling the gloves off in one smooth motion. "You can grumble all you like to but _I_ know it is not your heart that is speaking."

His eyes warmed for a moment as he gave her a grim smile and reached out to brush his fingertips along her jawline. "You know me too well, but it seems the rest of the house is under a pall as well."

He turned to take a seat in the chair in front of her desk while she took to her swivel chair to pour them both a cup of tea. After preparing his just the way he liked it, she slid the cup and saucer towards him with a deep sigh.

"Can you blame them," she said quietly sipping from her own cup, "Lady Sybil was the heart and soul of Christmas in this house. I don't suppose that Mary or Edith will be down this afternoon?"

Leaning back in the chair, he laced his fingers overtop of his belly and clucked at her lack of formality in not using the younger Ladies' titles. He'd left the parlor door ajar and glanced down the hallway where the watery winter sunshine danced in motes as it spilled in from the entryway to the servants' dining room.

He could still remember the first time he had stumped down those stairs when Sybil was but five years old. He holding the pine boughs carefully, under the watchful eye of Lady Mary and Lady Edith and trying hard not to laugh at their serious expressions. It was Lady Sybil who had come up with the idea of hanging it in the servants' dining room…he could still hear the sound of her small voice making the declaration, "Everybody has to come to eat here in the dining room."

Thank heavens for Elsie's quick thinking in coming up with the Mistletoe Protocol. Over the years, the small ceremony of hanging the swag and kissing each of the girls in turn beneath it, became very special to him as he watched them grow from shy, uncertain ducklings into graceful and beautiful swans. He shook his head to clear the tears that were beginning to fill his eyes.

"I very much doubt it," he said with a sigh. "Without Lady Sybil to lead them…" his voice trailed off as the softs sounds of singing began to make their way downstairs. He frowned over at her and they both stood to move towards her parlor door as the unmistakable voices of Lady Mary and Lady Edith could be heard being balanced by the dulcet tones of a tenor and baritone.

_**Ding dong merrily on high,  
In heav'n the bells are ringing:  
Ding dong! verily the sky  
Is riv'n with angel singing.  
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!**_

They walked slowly down the hallway towards the noise and met the small chorale as they arrived at the foot of the stairs.

"Good afternoon, Lady Mary, Lady Edith, Mr. Crawley, Mr. Branson," said Charles using his deepest voice to recognize each of them in turn. "Is there something you require? How may I…_we_, be of assistance?" He nodded to Mrs. Hughes before turning to look expectantly at Lady Mary as she stood holding the infant Sybil in her arms.

"As usual, Sybil has us running late…last minute nappy change this year," she whispered the last in a loud aside, "but I hope we're not too late to observe The Mistletoe Protocol!"

Charles' mouth opened and closed several times until he felt Elsie's calming hand on the back of his elbow. "I-I apologize, your Ladyship," he stuttered for a moment, "We weren't certain whether the Protocol would be observed this year…or perhaps even retired…" His face fell at the last and he stared down at the floorboards beneath his feet.

"Edith and I discussed it and, as improbable as it may seem," she paused and looked over as Edith rolled her eyes dramatically, "we're agreed that Sybil would have wanted for us to continue. We have new family members to teach…and there will be more next year."

Elsie didn't miss the small smile of wonder on Lady Mary's face or her hand as it smoothed down over her stomach. She caught the young woman's eye, raised a questioning eyebrow at her and then grinned when she nodded her head vigorously in response.

"When?"

"Late May or early June."

Elsie looked up to find Charles frowning down at her in puzzlement.

"Mr. Crawley and her Ladyship are…oh!" Elsie suddenly covered her mouth when she realized that perhaps it was still a secret.

"It's alright Mrs. Hughes," came the voice of Matthew Crawley as he stepped up and placed his hand on Mary's shoulder. "We've told the immediate family and we'll make the official announcement for our friends at dinner tonight."

"Official announcement about _what_?" exclaimed Charles in exasperation.

"We're going to have a baby, Mr. Carson," said Matthew Crawley.

Charles gasped and looked to Lady Mary for confirmation.

"My, that is good news! It is time for something joyful to happen in this house!" Charles looked up in time to see a cloud of sadness pass over the face of Tom Branson. "I'm sorry, Mr. Branson, I didn't mean…"

"It's quite alright, Mr. Carson. It _is_ time that there was good news in this house. Sybil would have been happy for her sister, I'll be glad that little Sybil will have a cousin her own age to play with soon." He walked down the last few steps to stand in front of Charles. "Could you tell me one thing though, Sir?"

"And what would that be, Mr. Branson?"

"What am I supposed to be doing with this pile of twigs?" he held out the swag with the mistletoe attached and smiled up at Charles.

Charles pursed his lips and did his best to appear stern but couldn't keep the twinkle from his eye.

"I believe that you should be holding that _pile of twigs_ out in front of you with the utmost reverence, _Mister_ Branson." Everyone laughed and then Matthew began to look around the hall.

"Where are we supposed to hang it?" he asked.

"As long as I am butler,_ I_ will hang it where it has hung for the last eighteen years." Charles looked down at his hands and then smoothed them over his jacket pockets as if he were looking for something.

Lady Mary and Lady Edith exchanged knowing glances when they saw Mrs. Hughes reach surreptitiously into his trouser pocket to slip out his spare pair of white gloves and press them into his hand.

"Ah, one moment," he said as he slipped the gloves on and turned to Lady Mary expectantly. "Shall we observe the Protocol, your Ladyship?"

Mary nodded and turned to Tom who held out the swag of pine boughs and mistletoe and presented it to Mr. Carson. Charles took the swag from the former chauffeur and stepped into the archway leading to the servants' dining room. Reaching up over his head, he gently placed the swag onto the hooks where it had hung for many more years than the past eighteen they had been observing the Protocol.

When he had finished, he stood to attention and waited for Lady Mary to make the next move. Looking down into young Sybil's wide eyes, she placed the blanket wrapped bundle into Elsie's arms. Stepping over beside Charles, he smiled fondly down at her as she scuffed her shoe along the floorboard for a moment as was their custom during the Protocol.

"Happy Christmas, your Ladyship."

"Happy Christmas, Carson." She stretched up towards him as they kissed each other on the cheek.

Charles held out his hand to Lady Edith to coax her to come and stand beside him in Lady Mary's place. She had always been the shy one though she had blossomed recently into a rare beauty. Looking down into her warm brown eyes he said, "Happy Christmas, Lady Edith."

"Happy Christmas, Mr. Carson." She waited until after he had kissed her on the cheek before reaching up to brush a soft kiss to the side of his face.

They both turned to walk towards the rest of the group when Lady Mary's voice rang out, "Don't move, Carson!"

Looking directly at Elsie, she nodded her head toward Charles. Walking over, Elsie placed the bundle in his arms and leaned against him, both looking down as the baby smiled and reached her tiny arms up towards him.

"And yours will be the deciding kiss," Charles said hoarsely as a single tear slid down to fall from his nose.

"As was your Mother's before you," said Elsie quietly, gently rubbing the outside of his arm.

"I'll explain later," whispered Mary at the puzzled looks on both Matthew and Tom's faces. They all stood and watched as Charles leaned in and placed a small kiss on the Baby's forehead.

"Happy Christmas, Miss Sybil." He smiled as she giggled and cooed at him as if returning his Christmas wishes.

The atmosphere had become rather solemn and in an effort to return things to a more festive mood, Matthew stepped forward and stood beside Elsie.

"I think it only fair that the boys are allowed to observe the protocol as well. Mrs. Hughes, if I may be so bold?" he looked to her for approval before continuing and smiled when she nodded her agreement. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Hughes!"

"Happy Christmas, Mr. Crawley," she returned his greetings warmly with a kiss to his cheek.

"My turn, Matthew!" said Tom brightly, not to be outdone. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Hughes." He leaned around Matthew to place a kiss on her cheek and then he reached to take the baby from Charles' arms.

"Yes, well…" mumbled Charles lamenting the loss of the babe in his arms. "Luncheon will be served shortly if you would like to repair to the formal dining room." He held out one arm to indicate that they should precede him up the stairs.

"Stay here, Carson, I think we can manage to find our way upstairs again," said Lady Mary with a fond smile. "Come along!" She gathered them all together with sweeping motions of her arms and shooed them up the stairs. Pausing just before the landing where they could observe the entry to the servants' dining room without being seen, Lady Edith and Lady Mary stooped down and waited.

Elsie still stood below the mistletoe and smiled warmly at Charles as he sauntered over to stand in front of her.

"That is good news about the baby, is it not? Mr. Carson," she asked.

"It is indeed, Mrs. Hughes, very good news indeed," he agreed.

They continued to stand very close to one another without touching. Elsie smirked and said, "We are still standing under the mistletoe, should we be observing the Mistletoe Protocol?"

Grinning widely he replied, "Not with two sets of prying eyes sitting on the landing of the staircase."

Still gazing into each other's eyes, they heard the groans of the two young women as they stood and walked up the stairs.

"You owe me five pounds, Mary," said Edith firmly.

"I do not, if they _weren't_ going to kiss, they would have left the hall completely," Mary's response faded as the door at the top of the stairs closed behind them.

"Happy Christmas, Mr. Carson," said Elsie softly.

Looking around quickly to make certain they were alone, Charles reached down to cup her cheek and draw her to him for a slow sweet kiss.

"Happy Christmas, Mrs. Carson!"

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_**A/N: I had written this story before we set the criteria for the challenge and I admit that I only worked in two: singing of Christmas carols and half of my OTP kissing someone else, but both halves kissed lots of other people so that counts, doesn't it? I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Reviews are always welcome! Thank you and hope you have a very HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON! **_


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